GSPC set to begin 50-well Tarapur campaign
After an 18-month delay because of Covid, GSPC is finally preparing to begin an ambitious Rs782cr ($101m) campaign to drill 50 wells over five years at CB-ON/2_RFPSC - a ring-fenced section of its CB-ON/2 or Tarapur block in Gujarat.
Next month (June 2022), the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) will hold two separate public hearings in central Gujarat's Anand and Kheda districts to win local approval for the proposed 50-well campaign - a combination of exploration, appraisal and development wells. On June 16 (2022), the GPCB will hold the Anand hearing at the Ekta Banquet Hall at Samarkha Crossing on the NH-48 highway.
A day later, on June 17 (2022), the GPCB will hold the Kheda part of the hearing at the Good Luck Hotel on the Kheda to Dholka highway. "None of the well sites is in a forested area," says a GSPC source.
"For this reason, we expect approval to come in fast." He adds GSPC will formalise a development and production profile based on the results of the 50-well campaign.
GSPC estimates it will cost a maximum of Rs15cr ($1.93m) to drill one well to a depth of 3000 metres and another Rs4cr ($516,000) for the development of facilities at each site at this 570-sq km pre-NELP block straddling Matar, Borsad, Vaso, Kheda and Tarapur administrative areas (Talukas) of Kheda and Anand districts. "GSPC also plans to set up eight production facilities," adds our source.
"Maybe it will be more than eight or less than eight; it all depends on the drilling results; there's no point in setting up unwanted production facilities." Four and six-inch diameter underground pipelines will connect successful wells to the production facilities.
"Each well will take between 20 to 30 days to drill," we hear. "Drilling will go on round the clock."
GSPC expects each well to produce a maximum of 40 cm/d (25 b/d) oil and around 7000 cm/d.